Ocean Acidification Effects

It also greatly affects small swimming mollusks called Pteropods which are a large food source for many fish, and if their thin shells deteriorate as well, who knows what could happen to the food chain. It could unearth the whole process that occurs and lead to a much more rapid sixth extinction and alter the way of life for many people; mostly those who live in coastal areas whose main source of income and food comes from the sea.

Ocean acidification isn’t hard to understand because the name is self-explanatory but in simpler terms, carbon dioxide is pushed into the water become more acidic. Ocean acidification has much effect on how the flora and fauna of the sea adapt and live. The “subtle change in chemistry lowers the water’s saturation in aragonite” that Slezak (1) explains can be very effective how coral grow and build. Currently, oceans are staying at a rate of 3.8 aragonite saturation which isn’t entirely horrible but slezak (1) mentions many scientists believe “corals will stop building reefs when the saturation state drops below 2.5”. However, coral will just begin to ache once it hits the 2.5 point, but it’s “not a point of no return beyond to which they

There are many threats to sea life. One of the big issues is the bleaching of the coral reefs. CO2 plays a large part in coral reefs dying, by removing the algae that gives them their color. The algae on a reef could be considered the lifeblood of the local ecosystem. Without a reef for sea life to hide from predators, storms and find nourishment, they will die out or move on. In this area, it could become hard for the local population of people who depend on the sea life for a source of food.

As Dr. Stamper discussed, ocean acidification is a major factor that affects the environment. Both of these have had huge effects on the health and vitality of coral reefs. Since the Industrial Revolution, the pH of the ocean has decreased by 30% and this will have ramifications on the health of humans, food supplies and others. Dr. Stamper mentions himself that we are only focusing on calcium molecules in the acidification reactions instead of all the molecules and how they affect the organisms around them. He said changes in the normal calcification can lead to decrease muscle mass and decreased feeding which can harm the vitality of species in the ocean. He suggests gaining more control of our water usage since it generates 3% of our energy produced. In conjunction, he recommends people take personal steps in water conservation and energy conservation by buying energy efficient lights, low-flow toilets or dual-flush toilets, and gaining control of your heating costs by installing a low-energy system.

Ocean acidification is caused when the CO₂ from the air enters into the ocean and bonds with sea water creating a toxic acid called carbonic acid. Carbonic acid reduces the natural pH levels of the water which as a result has been increasing the ocean acidity by 30%. This reduces the calcium concentration in the water, making it hard for crustaceans like crabs and prawns to build their shell. This means that they are more vulnerable to predators, and we can all figure out what happens when an entire species is vulnerable to predators. Air pollution is not the only factor that causes the water to become polluted. In fact, there are many more including fertilizer that gets washed into the oceans and also oils spills. According to the Water Project, 783 million people worldwide do not have access to clean and safe water, and according to the Worldwatch Institute, approximately 450 million kilograms of pesticides U.S. farmers use every year have now contaminated almost all of the United States' streams and rivers, and the fish living in them.

Ocean Acidification is the process of Carbon Dioxide entering the Ocean causing it to change its chemical structure. This leads to it become more acidic, affecting Marine and other living organisms negatively. The cause of this Global phenomenon are Power Plants who are producing 10 billion tons of CO2 every year, according to Science Daily. However, the impact of acidification does not stop there, organisms with Calcium Carbonate shells including crabs and mollusks have the potential to go extinct due to their shells being dissolved. But, the reality is that this does not just affect animals, humans can also be in great danger as well because of the Food Chain. These small organisms provide for fish which is a stable protein in many third

Ocean Acidification (OA) is a term used to describe significant changes to the chemistry of the ocean.It occurs when carbon dioxide gas (or CO2) is absorbed by the ocean and reacts with seawater to produce acid. Although CO2 gas naturally moves between the atmosphere and the oceans, the increased amounts of CO2 gas emitted into the atmosphere, mainly as a result of human activities (e.g. burning fossil fuels), has been increasing the amount of CO2 absorbed by the ocean, which results in seawater that is more acidic.This is a major problem to humans and marine life, this is a problem because when the carbon dioxide levels rise the wildlife in the ocean

The oceans of the earth are a massive part of the natural cycles that make this planet habitable. They regulate global temperatures, absorb carbon dioxide, provide a home for millions of plants and animals that make up various levels of the food chain, and so much more. They are a resource given for us to use and benefit from, however, it is also a resource that needs to be protected. It is the fountain of life for the planet and drastic changes to the makeup of the oceans could be detrimental to life as we know it. Ocean acidification is a problem which has come to light in the last decade, but is becoming increasingly concerning to many scientists (1). In this essay I will attempt to direct your attention to some of the

The issue on ocean acidification is popularizing but what exactly is ocean acidification? It occurs when carbon dioxide is absorbed in the ocean’s waters from then on a series of chemical reactions take place which lowers the ocean’s water pH, carbonate ion concentration, as well as the saturation states of the calcium carbonate minerals ( “What is Ocean Acidification?”). Since we are addressing the issue on ocean acidification we will touch on the marine creatures that are harmed and will possibly be harmed due to the acidification of the seawater. A background of the chemicals involved as well the beneficial usage of the chemicals will be described in order to address the solution to this environmental problem.

There are many concerns for marine organisms and ecosystems. These concerns include: reduced calcification rates, increased photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation, reduced growth, production, and life span of adults juveniles and larvae, reduced tolerance to other environmental fluctuations, and significant shifts in key nutrient and trace element speciation. This creates changes to fitness and survival, species biogeography, key biochemical cycles, and food webs. It also creates reduced sounds absorption, homing ability, and recruitment and settlement.

For many years people have thought that ocean acidification is really not that serious of an issue to our climate. They have claimed that releasing CO2 into the atmosphere is harmless and cannot acidify the ocean. However, scientists have refuted this claim and state that ocean acidification threatens the entire marine ecosystem.

Over the last decade, there has been much focus in the ocean science community on studying the potential impacts of ocean acidification (OA). Ocean acidification describes a change in the ocean’s carbon chemistry which is an emerging global problem. Oceans cover nearly 70 percent of the planet’s surface and play a crucial role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide through the interaction of physical, chemical, and biological processes (Orr, Fabry, Aumont, Bopp, Doney, Feely, ... & Key, 2005). As a result of anthropogenic emissions from fossil fuels, cement manufacturing, changes in land use and other human activities, carbon dioxide levels have built up in the atmosphere (Orr et al., 2005). Excess levels of CO2 then dissolve

The article of “ocean acidification” has been written by Elizabeth Kolbert for the magazine of National Geographic. In this magazine article, the author has expressed grave concerns regarding the increasing problem of acidification of oceans. The author is of the view that the issue of ocean acidification should be taken very seriously as this problem is irreversible and, if it occurs, it cannot be controlled.

The negative impacts of increased acidity includes the difficulty for marine animals to form shells and skeletons and corrosion coral, however it also does have positive effects, which includes helping marine plants with the process of

Ocean acidification is the mean decrease in the pH of the earth oceans. Between 1751 and 2004 ocean pH have decreased from 8.25 to 8.14 (Jacobson 2005). The ocean will absorb nearly a quarter of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. Carbon dioxide in seawater increases the hydrogen ion concentration of the seawater, thus lowering the pH of the seawater. A higher concentration of carbon dioxide will lead to bleaching responses to coral reefs. When coral reefs got bleached will damage marine ecosystem. Coral reefs provide shelter, fish and marine life can raise their offspring to form a complete ecological environment. The pH in ocean acidification is the key factor that led coral reefs to fade out and calcification rate increase rapidly. Because increased acidity of the oceans is the production of shell and skeleton plates